Roy Ward, Daniel Cherny

Four-time Olympian and Australian basketball great Lauren Jackson says Opals teammate Alice Kunek will learn a tough lesson after painting her face black for an end-of-season dress-up day.

A photograph of Kunek, dressed as her favourite rapper Kanye West for the Melbourne Boomers' 'Silly Sunday' celebrations, was posted on social media on Sunday and prompted an angry response from Opals star Liz Cambage just six months out from the Rio Olympic Games.

Jackson added that all people needed to be aware of what actions could be offensive.

"There have been so many issues [regarding sport and race] in last 12 months; it's upsetting," Jackson said.

"I know none of the [Opals] girls want to see this sort of vitriol pointed towards Alice, but at same time you have to be aware of the racial implications.

"In the last two years, there have been things publicised that show that it's not something you do because of racial implications.

"Alice is not the person who would do something to offend or hurt anybody — it was a mistake."

Jackson, who still hopes to regain fitness to play with the Opals in Rio, said sport was a great place to learn about these issues and she knew that once the Opals were in camp together, the matter between Kunek and Cambage would be resolved.

Kunek is expected to be considered for the Rio Olympic side while Cambage is projected to be the starting centre.

"Liz is a beautiful human being and it's so unfortunate but I know when they sit down and talk about it face to face and understand the different points of view then it will be better," Jackson said.

Jackson added the abuse directed at Kunek via social media should stop and people should instead understand why blackface is so offensive.

"It's important people understand the past and why this is an issue," Jackson said.

"It's important it's talked about, but in same breath people need to understand that people make mistakes; in hindsight she wouldn't do this again."

Cambage, whose father is Nigerian, expressed shock at the photo, taken after the WNBL club's campaign ended on Saturday night.

"I'm am [sic] so shocked and disturbed to see this [behaviour] from someone I'm meant to call a 'teammate,'" Cambage tweeted.

"Blackface is disgusting, I honestly have no words. People wonder why I have issues with some @BasketballAus teammates, I've been dealing with these [behaviour] since we were kids."

Having deleted her initial post, Kunek posted another image with an apology, having cleaned the paint from her face.

"I am so unbelievably sorry to all my followers who were offended my by previous post. It was never my intention to offend anyone at all. It was an honest mistake," Kunek wrote in the caption accompanying the image.

1/4. I'm sorry that people would think my support of Kanye as being racist in some way.